


New sensations, Sweet temptations

by Winterboxx



Series: New sensations, Sweet temptations [2]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Coming Out, F/F, Fluff, Highschool AU, Lesbian AU, Questioning, like 4 confessions in this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterboxx/pseuds/Winterboxx
Summary: Summer is coming and everyone is trying to make it the most fun. Jan's got questions about herself, Rock never really knows whats going on. Crystal and Gigi have been stuck in limbo for a while and need to sort out their feelings, and nicky and jaida just want to have a good time
Relationships: Crystal Methyd/Rock M Sakura, Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd, Nicky Doll/Jaida Essence Hall, Rock M Sakura/Jan Sport
Series: New sensations, Sweet temptations [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721200
Comments: 19
Kudos: 76





	1. falling backward, what comes after

**Author's Note:**

> this has been a lot of planning and writing but i'm happy to finally be putting this out here. It's written for writethehousedown summer fic challenge over on tumblr (catch me on tumblr @soulfulwinter) , i hope people enjoy, this fic is honestly the most fun thing i've written, enjoy lesbians and summer
> 
> title from hallucinations by pvris, i will probably name all the chapters after lyrics from the song bc lesbian rights
> 
> the prompt for this chapter was bathing suit

The end of spring, transitioning into the start of summer, was a strange time. It was getting hot but school was still going for a little longer. People got restless, wanting for anything interesting to happen. The desire to spend time in the sun with friends grew stronger day by day until a beach trip was suggested. 

The second the words beach trip were uttered in the group, all previous conversations were lost. The idea of a beach trip made all the girls excited.

Jackie had been the one to suggest it, knowing her friends well enough to know they would all agree. It had been a while since all eight of them had done something together, making it extra appealing. 

“There’s a beach that’s a 20 minute drive away from here. How does everyone feel about going next Saturday?”

The resounding chatter of approval was all Jackie needed. Plans were made and excited chatter was shared for the next week. With the explosion of energy that half of their friend group was, it sure was a lot to deal with.

Jan was always excited. In the run up to the beach trip she held her usual enthusiasm that rarely seemed to droop. She had rambled about how excited she was multiple times in the past week. After the fourth time it had become somewhat grating to the other girls. That didn’t phase her though, returning with the same bright enthusiasm day after day. 

The excitement spread as the days went by though. Rock soon joined Jan in her excitement, not wanting to leave the blonde alone in her enthusiasm. Crystal had followed soon after, talking non-stop about how fun it was going to be. 

She totally wasn’t also excited to see Gigi in summer clothes, absolutely not. The thought of the redhead in shorts messed with her brain. She could wear anything and make it look good though. That was the power of Gigi Goode and what Crystal thought to be the endless beauty. 

Gigi herself was minorly excited. She hoped for an opportunity for some alone time with Crystal. The two of them at a beach had potential to be exciting. Gigi resolved to offer to buy the green-haired girl some ice cream when the chance arose on the day.

\---

The day had started well enough for the group. Knowing half of them struggled to ever get up on time, it was an achievement they were all together half an hour after the agreed meeting time.

“Jan, are you incapable of being on time?” Nicky asked, tapping her foot impatiently and giving her fellow blonde a light glare before turning her attention back to jaida. 

Jan just laughed. None of them apart from Jackie, Jaida and Heidi had been on time. The fault did not lie fully on her. Nicky was impatient as ever though, choosing the easiest target for her irritation after waiting for 20 minutes.

“Who decided to let the two slowest girls arrive together anyway? Don’t think I forgot about you Rock. How much did you have to do with the lateness?”

Nicky was as blunt as ever, not waiting to poke into the issue. She knew full well neither girl was good at being on time. Combining their chaos was an awful idea. She sent an annoyed glare to the two of them, although it didn’t phase the pair. They were always off in their own world when together, it was a mix of amusing to watch and infuriating to actually deal with. 

“Calm it Nicky, we don’t need to argue. At least we’re all here, close enough to being on time.” Jackie spoke in her authoritative mother voice that always sorted out the childish bickering. It was inevitable in a large group of loud girls but that didn’t mean there was no way to control it.

The group made their way to the beach, Nicky and Jaida splitting off to find a good place to sunbathe. 

Crystal and Rock seemed to have the same idea, glancing at the water then at each other with a devious grin. Jan and Gigi exchanged a nervous look, knowing what the girl’s could do when teamed up with no one to stop them. 

Shortly, they were all in bathing suits ready for the day. Jan’s gaze caught on Rock in her pink frilly mess of a swimsuit. It was something only she could pull off that well. Not only that, her best friend’s body was more revealed than normal. Maybe it was the shock that was keeping the blonde’s eyes trained on the muscular arms currently swinging wildly in the water aiming to splash Crystal before she could be splashed herself. 

There was nothing odd about that. Not one thing. Just a friend admiring their good friends figure.

But it wasn’t just that. Jan’s mind was racing at the sight of Rock and her toned body. She was confused, having not given the girl this much visual attention in all the years they had known each other. 

Her _totally normal_ appreciation was interrupted by a bemused Gigi, tapping her on the shoulder with a knowing smirk. 

“I know that look, it’s the same look Nicky always gives to Jaida. Didn’t think you were into loud pastel nerds, very interesting Jan.”

The blonde jolted in shock. There was no way she looked at Rock the way Nicky looked at Jaida. The French girl did nothing to hide her obvious interest in the self-proclaimed essence of beauty. Her looks were often one of obvious, unfiltered attraction and appreciation. Jan and Rock were different. They didn’t flirt constantly, they were just two best friends who looked at each other with affection due to their close bond.

Right?

She couldn’t dwell on it too long, a loud voice called her name. Rock was beckoning her over with a large, gleeful grin that made the blonde’s heart flutter. 

For all the staring, Rock herself had failed to catch on to any longing gaze from the blonde, instead preoccupied by attempting to win the ongoing water fight between her and Crystal.

“Geeg, you too! Help me win this!” the excitement in Crystal’s tone brought Gigi in, her heart warming at the childlike wonder twinkling her eyes. The redhead maintained her composure, but agreed to help fight the losing battle. 

Jan and her walked over, with the blonde preoccupied with messing around with her pink haired friend the moment she got into the water. Gigi didn’t buy Jan’s refusal for a second but knew rather well that it wasn’t her place to pry. At least not yet.

Crystal bounced in excitement at Gigi joining her, greeting her with a welcoming splash, soaking the neatly tied up red hair the Gigi had tried hard to not mess up too badly. 

The look on her face must have said it all as Crystal backed up slightly, an innocent smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Gigi returned the smile, inching closer and using both of her arms to create a large splash, completely drenching Crystal and making her giggle with glee.

Something about the way her soaked green hair stuck to her face was adorable, that and the smile. The soft smile that sent Gigi crazy. The one she just wanted to kiss and be the one to cause to as long as she could. Only Crystal would smile like that after being splashed by a large amount of water. 

Outwardly, Gigi only smiled slightly before setting her eyes on their competition. Of course Jan and Rock had teamed up. But Gigi was confident she could get the pair drenched with ease, or that was her idea before Crystal excitedly ran forward, attempting to get the girls while putting herself at an easy range. 

Gigi held back a laugh when her friend got soaked by two well timed splashes from the opposing girls. Her heart sank at the look of betrayal Crystal had, but was soon boosted up as the green-haired girl cracked an adorable smile. God damn it, Crystal was doing things to Gigi that made her just want to kiss this girl.

Deciding to play the honourable hero, she lept into action, delivering a considerably large splash to distract Jan and Rock before moving Crystal out of their splashing range. 

The little giggle Crystal let out at seeing how Gigi managed to soak both Jan and Rock made her heart twist and flutter even more than before.

Their little battle continued, eventually ending in a defeat when Jan almost fell, her whole body almost dropping into the water before Rock instinctively caught her. 

That didn’t complicate her feelings further. Absolutely not.

Jan’s mind was left wondering and confused at the day’s events. She seemed absent as they grabbed food and ice cream with the whole group, only really returning when she turned to face Rock before the pair drove home.

“Rock, how did you know you were gay?”


	2. my imagination's running wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are with chapter 2, ngl this chapter is one of my fav things i've written, enjoy some baby gays and questioning lesbians, the theme for this chapter was camp

“Rock, how did you know you were gay?”

It was a sudden question that made Rock jolt. Why was Jan asking? She swore Jan was straight, she’d never mentioned anything remotely gay in the years they had been friends. She tried to shake off the confusion, resolving to help her friend and not prod whatever questioning might be happening. 

“Oh, you want a story time? Do you wanna come inside and listen to auntie Rock tell you a story of lesbians?” 

Jan laughed, of course Rock would respond with her usual brand of endearing stupidity. It made her heart flutter. The confusion and anxiety was quickly becoming too much with all these new feelings. But she knew Rock wouldn’t question it, only trying her best to keep Jan amused and not thinking too hard about things. She was like that, and it made Jan's head spin even more at the thought of how good her best friend truly was. 

“Jannifer, I asked you a question and you’re just staring into space. Did the sun melt your brain?” Rock joked, but inwardly worried for Jan. She was acting off but it wasn’t the right time to question her about it. Not if what she thought was true. It was better to let Jan figure it out for herself and be as supportive as she could every step of the way.

The pair continued into Rock’s house, Jan trying her hardest to not seem off or raise suspicion. Rock sat across from Jan, posing herself like an old story teller ready to bestow an old legend onto some unknowing children.

“It all began many years ago, a whole 4 years ago to be exact. You remember that summer camp? It was then.”

\-----

A young Rock, anxious and awkward as any kid her age would be, got dragged into a summer camp by Jan. Her parents said it would be good, they spoke so much of how it would help her to come out of her shell and make new friends. It didn’t feel like that though. 

Rock didn’t fit in with her peers. She was weird and she knew it. She always had been, and few people wanted to associate with the quiet nerdy girl who only seemed to talk to one person. 

Jan was everything to her though. She never judged Rock when she got excited over a cool anime she had watched recently or begged Jan to play a video game with her. If anything she encouraged it, always laughing and being excited along with Rock. Jan was different too. No one had the same energy as her. That bright bubbly infectious spirit that lit up everyone around her. How Jan wasn’t the most liked person confused Rock. She considered herself very lucky to have such a good person as her close friend though. 

They had made it to the camp in one piece, Jan was ever excited and had made a friend in the 5 minutes they had been there. She introduced her new friend, a timid looking girl with bright green curls falling just above her shoulders. She stood out and yet, seemed to want to run away from anyone who looked at her the wrong way.

“Rock, this is Crystal. You two both like art and stuff, I think you’ll get along well!”

In hindsight, Jan was absolutely right. The pair got along very well and became good friends in their first year of high school, still a summer off however.

For now, the one thing they shared was the anxiety of making new friends in such an unfamiliar place. Jan being the energetic 5 year old she was and would always be had dashed off, talking to more people and just generally being the social butterfly Rock had come to rely on. 

“Hi, I’m Crystal. Your friend is very...uhm friendly isn’t she.”

Rock picked up on the nervousness in the other girl’s tone. As much as she related and would rather run away than ever talk to someone, she felt an opportunity to find someone like herself in this strange place. Maybe it wouldn't be awful if she tried to make a friend. 

“Yeah, she’s super friendly.”

The awkwardness in the conversation was palpable. But Rock knew if she ran back to Jan, the blonde would question it. She wouldn’t be harsh, but any bit of disapproval from Jan would destroy her. 

Rock pushed forward, trying to ignore the anxiety eating up at her, so far from her comfort zone in the first hour of the camp. 

Before their conversation could continue too much further, everyone was called over and one of the camp instructors started explaining everything. He explained how everything was going to work and Rock almost zoned out before Jan lightly shoved her. That made it even harder to pay attention though, but the pair managed with similar small smiles, trying and failing to hide their amusement. 

Room orders got sorted out, Rock sighed with relief upon realising she was in a decently small 4 person room with 2 people she already knew. It was to be her, Crystal, Jan and a girl called Jaida. 

They got settled into the rooms soon after, with the four chatting away while putting their stuff into the room. It was mostly Jan talking to Jaida, the blonde ball of energy was as sociable as ever, clearly having already befriended her.

Despite having stayed mostly silent since they got into the room, Rock was a little bit shocked when Crystal approached her with a nervous smile.

“Hey, you brought a sketchbook with you too? Oh, I was so worried I'd be the only one and be the weird art kid. Nice to know I’m not alone.”

The stark contrast in Crystal’s attitude was jarring. She had gone from sitting alone in a corner, glancing at the girls, not daring to interject with any of them to grinning excitedly at Rock, the genuine joy in her face made the other girl feel giddy, had she made a connection with someone? She hoped so desperately. 

“Well, I guess that makes two of us weird art kids!”

The loud, jovial laugh Crystal let out before regaining her grin made Jan glance over. She felt a surge of pride knowing her nervous friend was hitting it off with someone without much intervention. She wanted nothing more than for Rock to be more confident with people. 

“So what kind of stuff do you draw?”

Rock smiled nervously, inwardly cringing at the question. The reaction to her art from anyone apart from Jan was rarely what she liked. Would Crystal judge her? She tried to shake it off and be proud of herself, like Jan always advised her to do. She opened the sketchbook to reveal many drawings of different characters. The intrigue on Crystal’s face eased her anxieties. The green-haired girl gestured to something, smiling even more.

“Woah that's a really good looking Eevee! Rock, your art is so cute!” Crystal squealed in excitement, making Rock bloom in pride. 

“What about you? What kind of art do you do?” 

Crystal’s art was intricate. She flicked through the pages of her own sketchbook, filled with sketches and watercolours of plants, trees and general landscapes. It was stunning, Rock was in awe of the girl’s art.

Watching their conversation unfold, Jan had a huge grin. She always loved seeing Rock get excited about her art, and having someone else join her in the excitement was incredible. Jaida noticed the shift in her expression, curious as to what caused it. 

“Chile, what are you doing looking at her like she’s a kid who just learnt not to burn herself?” 

Stifling a laugh at Jaida’s phrasing, Jan tried to articulate a response through her giggles.

“You know, I saw her burn herself once. She was trying to cook something but didn’t wear an oven glove and burnt herself on the tray.” 

Although they had known each other for all of 10 minutes, Jaida got the vibe Jan was an absolute airhead. She was extremely correct in her assumption, sighing inwardly upon realising she seemed to be the only one in the group who wasn’t off in their own world. Or jantasy as she had heard already. The puns were going to get tiring. 

The girls came to bond quickly over their shared time at the camp. They’d learnt they were all going to the same high school. Crystal felt immense relief knowing she would know people going into a new school. The fear of once again being an outcast hung over her still. She couldn’t help but question if they all would become good friends or split off once they started to get to know other people. 

That and her blossoming feelings for one of her campmates. It wasn’t the first time she had such feelings for a girl but it was hard to deal with. She didn’t know if the girl in question was even gay. Or even if she knew of her own sexuality. That was until one night in their room. She was half-asleep when she caught onto some quiet voices. 

“Chile, you are absolutely gay for her. We’ve seen the way you look at her . It’s cute.” 

The voice was Jaida, Crystal vaguely wondered who she was talking to before another, quieter voice piped up.

“Do I? I don’t know anymore. It’s so confusing. How do you even figure something like this out?”

Crystal recognised the second voice, her chest tightening at the thought of Rock talking about another girl. 

“I can’t tell you what you feel. But give it some thought. If she makes you more nervous than anyone else, makes you smile like no one else does and all that other sappy stuff then it sounds like a crush. I personally think you have a crush on Crystal. But you have to figure this out for yourself. I know it isn’t easy but know we’re here for you during this? Okay?“

Crystal froze at hearing her name. Rock liked her? Or was she just hallucinating while half-asleep? She woke up fully, head spinning with what she had overheard. Could it have been a dream? She decided not to push it, and to just observe how Rock was acting. 

The pink-haired girl seemed to be acting odd as the day started. She was practically attached to Jan, whispering things to her periodically. The moment she made eye contact with Crystal, she froze up. It was clear she was trying to act through the anxiety but she came off as shaky and nervous during all their conversations that day. 

It sent Crystal on a journey of mixed feelings. On one hand, she seemed to be causing the same feelings Rock caused for her but she hated to be a source of confusion and anxiety for the girl. She wanted to intervene but realised it would be smarter not to. Letting Rock figure herself out before talking about anything related to her feelings.

All the confusion and anxiety built up slowly in Rock. She had a lot of long periods of thinking, trying to make it all make sense. _She liked girls._ It made sense. She could accept that, what was harder was her feelings for a certain green-haired art kid with the cutest smile, the squeals she let out when her art got complimented and just every little thing about her. 

She had spoken to Jaida more, trying to explain her feelings with the brunette telling her that it sounded more and more like a crush the more she spoke of it. 

She had yet to speak to Jan though. Jan who had been by her side for years, who was always there when needed. She was terrified as to how her best friend would react to her newfound sexuality. She knew Jan wasn’t homophobic, she had argued with the homophobic kids a lot in the past. But the paranoid thought of her having a bad reaction tore Rock up inside. 

Eventually, after some days of it boiling up in her, Rock had to tell someone. She piped up in a quiet moment before they went to sleep. 

“Hey, can I talk to you guys about something.”

The nerves in her voice were immediately obvious, Jan got off her bed, making her way to Rock’s side quickly. She supportively grabbed her shoulder with a wide smile that lit some much needed confidence in Rock. 

“I think…”

She trailed off, anxiety flowing through her with 3 sets of eyes on her at once.

“I’m a lesbian.”

Jan’s reaction was instant. Gaining a rare serious expression, she put her hands on Rock’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes before speaking. 

“Hey, Rock. No matter what you are or who you want to date. I’m always here and I'll always support you okay? It’s nothing to be afraid of and you’re super brave for telling us.”

Rock could only try to hide her face, not wanting Jan to see the tears forming. Her emotions were at an all-time high as Jaida and Crystal came over, offering the same sentiment as Jan. 

“Hey Rock. I’m proud of you for that.”

“Hey, we’re both gay weird art kids now, isn’t that cool!”

Crystal’s brand of comfort made Rock laugh, she felt lighter at the support her newfound friends gave. 

“Thank you guys, so much.”

\-----

“That was when I really realised and accepted myself, it’s weird, it’s been a good few years now huh?”

Jan nodded, clearly engrossed in the story. Rock couldn’t help but smile at that. Jan was always listening to whatever she said and Rock hoped it would never change. 

“Oh, I remember you and Crystal. What an interesting time.” Jan smiled, wistfully reminiscing on the short-lived relationship. They had a lot in common, making a good couple. But it had ended for some reasons she still wasn’t too sure of. Although she felt slight relief, knowing Rock was single now. Not because she wanted to date her though? 

Right?

“Hey, what happened with you guys anyway?”

\----

The rest of the summer passed by in a flash. The anxiety of starting in a new environment set in and shook the girls. After camp had ended, numbers had been exchanged and a group chat kept them feeling closer than ever. 

They all reacted differently to the new situation. Jan was excited, always the one to shrug off her friends' anxiety with pure optimism and eager energy. Crystal and Rock were similarly anxious, confiding in each other in the lead up. Their feelings had only complicated more since camp. Neither quite had the courage to approach the other. Although Crystal knew there was a high chance Rock liked her back, it was almost impossible for her to admit her own feelings to the girl. 

“Hey Rock, how are you dealing with all this? I’m kinda scared. You can’t help but wonder if it’s going to go well or if you’re going to mess something and alienate yourself for the next 4 years. Oh, I'm scaring myself. It’s so spooky!”

“It do be like that sometimes.” 

Crystal snickered at the deadpan response, knowing it was meant in a loving way. Rock had a habit of blanking, only replying with things that somewhat made sense but made people question her. Although she had seen Jan poke fun of Rock for it, Crystal found it adorable. It was part of her unique charm. 

“Crystal. Seriously though. You don’t need to worry yourself so much. You’re great, funny, nice, talented, uniquely yourself and one of the prettiest girls i’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Everyone’s going to love you and if they don’t then they’re really stupid and you’re better off without them.”

Whatever daze Rock had been in shifted quickly. Her serious face and voice was a strange transition from her normally chaotic and sweet demeanor. It was obvious to Crystal that it was all very heartfelt though. Her chest tightened, much like it did when she first overheard the conversation between Rock and Jaida at camp.

“Rock, you’re so sweet. But you’re making it sound like you have a crush on me .”

Although her tone was lighthearted and fun as ever, Rock froze at Crystal's words. _How did she know?_ She desperately wanted to shake it off, joke back with the cute green-haired girl and act like it was just banter between good friends. But part of her wanted to let it out. Express her feelings even if she got shot down. It was worth a try. But the fear was paralysing. 

Crystal noticed the conflict in Rock’s expression. Her heart hammered as she blurted something before thinking. 

“I like you more than a friend.” 

She spoke fast, but Rock knew what she heard. It snapped her out of her conflict, soon stammering out a confession of her own. 

“Crystal. I….you…” she paused to gather herself. “I like you like that too.”

\---

“Honestly? I think it was Gigi. Not intentionally or anything but you know she was attached to Crystal the moment they met. Also we really did just work better as friends in the end. It’s not like it was too bad or anything. If anything we came out better friends. Plus I don’t think I would've wanted to be on the receiving end or the target of a jealous Gigi.”

Jan nodded, in hindsight they did make better friends. She couldn’t complain about Rock being single though. It made her heart feel somewhat lighter knowing she had a shot.

_Wait what?_

She wanted a shot with Rock? No? Maybe? Of course she did. They worked so well together. They understood each other. Rock was the one person Jan felt the most comfortable with but she wanted more. The realisation hit her like a truck.

She was gay for Rock.


	3. close my eyes, can't erase you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's chapter 3 time! this came out hella fluffy and i'm pretty happy with it, my friends zyan and vic helped me with the spanish and the god that is emerald gave me some french so enjoy the girls speaking other languages. 
> 
> the prompt for this chapter was ice cream
> 
> hit me up @soulfulwinter on tumblr if you like :)

The realisation hit Jan hard. How long had this been in her? Had she been unaware of these feelings for years? How repressed was she? Everything quickly became overwhelming but she held herself together to avoid the potential questions from Rock. 

They ended their conversation and went their separate ways soon after. Jan refused to let herself show any shred of her inner conflict but that didn’t stop Rock from picking up on it. She knew better than to press the matter, only hoping that the blonde would talk about her feelings at some point rather than bottling it all up and burying it. 

When she got home, Jan let herself start unpacking everything. Of course the only thing she could think of was the cute pink-haired girl that was the cause of all this confusion. How would Rock even feel knowing she was the catalyst? Jan knew she would apologise, despite her having no fault in the matter. Rock would feel guilty for most things, it was in her nature and Jan wished it wasn’t. Sometimes she was too nice for her own good. 

But it was that genuine sweetness that made Jan’s head spin. She knew her friend was cute, she wasn’t blind. But it went much deeper than that. Rock got her on a level no one else could come close to. She knew exactly what set the blonde off and how to deal with her in the rare times she would let herself dwell on negative feelings. While Jan always tried to move on and not let negativity get to her it got increasingly hard when everything was confusing and nothing was making sense. 

She liked Rock. But how did she deal with it?

\---

The same day had been incredible for Crystal and Gigi. The pair never could communicate their feelings, with Gigi struggling with feelings in general and Crystal almost never able to communicate crushes because of the anxiety that paralysed her at the thought of it. A situation that saw no end any time soon needed intervention if it was to move forward. 

That was when Nicky took it upon herself to speed up the mutual pining of the pair of useless lesbians. 

“Gigi, everyone is starting to split off. Go take the girl out for ice cream and if you don’t make a move or tell her then I will tell her everything.”

“But what if she doesn’t-”

"T'es vraiment idiote, arrête de te mettre la tête dans le sable et fais quelque chose."

“All I got from that was sand.”

“I'm not translating for you. Go learn another language then you can insult people to their face without them realising.”

Gigi was left stumped, although Nicky had that effect on people when she’d had enough of what they were doing. She knew it was pointless to fight it. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of the French girl’s irritance.

\------

With her heart twisting in anxiety, Gigi felt a rush of emotions when she entered the ice cream parlor with Crystal, her curly green bob bouncing as she walked that made Gigi feel more gay than she ever knew possible. Crystal just had that effect on her. 

Getting Crystal to wait patiently in a line was the difficult part. She was never much of a patient person, nor was Gigi but she learned to fake it, so she turned to the redhead and started rambling about ice cream flavours. 

“-Oh but lemon is really good! It’s kind of sour though. Do you like sour things Geeg? It would explain the faces you make sometimes when Nicky gets annoyed at you for stuff.”

That last part made the redhead send an unamused expression to the girl, Crystal just let out a giggle that made Gigi’s heart flip. Could she stop being so cute? 

“Oh but what about strawberries, they’re red like your hair!” Crystal grinned proudly, gesturing to Gigi’s hair. It did remind Crystal of strawberries sometimes, she’d compare them while idly staring at her. She claimed it was normal, who wouldn’t stare at Gigi Goode when given the chance. Crystal swore anyone would and if they wouldn’t then they clearly couldn’t appreciate the beauty in front of them.

Once getting to the front of the queue, Crystal excitedly looked over all the options before deciding on a strawberry flavour, reminding her of the girl she adored. She went to get the money out for it before Gigi stopped her, paying for them both. 

“Oh Gigi how gentlemanly of you! Paying for the lady?” Crystal nudged her playfully, Gigi swore she sounded flirtatious but it was likely just her imagination.

“Well, I know how to treat a lady right.” Gigi returned the playful attitude, unable to hold back the dumb grin that took hold when Crystal acted like this. 

They soon sat down, enjoying their ice cream before Crystal realised something. 

“So you’re having lemon? I mean it fits, it’s pretty sour like you.” The glee in Crystal's tone made Gigi want to squeeze her. That girl was incapable of not being cute at all times, or so Gigi was convinced.  
“Oh? All I heard from that is it’s pretty like you. I’m glad you think I'm pretty, Crys.” Gigi decided to be more confident, for once trying to play into the flirty edge Crystal had been using all afternoon. 

“Eres tan jodidamente hermosa que don’t know how to cope” Crystal blurted without thinking, she noticed Gigi’s puzzled expression and almost squealed due to how cute it was. She clearly didn’t understand what had been said and that made Crystal's anxiety loosen up slightly.

“I love when you speak half in Spanish and half in English, it’s adorable Cryssie.”

Crystal felt heat rising to her cheeks at the comment. The nickname alone sent her reeling. But Gigi found something she did adorable? Even more so than cute, she found it adorable. Was she flirting? Crystal felt a rare surge of confidence, deciding to play into it. She could always shake it off as friendly flirting, like Jaida always claimed was what happened between her and Nicky.

“You do some adorable things yourself, miss Goode.”

It was Gigi’s turn to be flustered, Crystal flirting back was not what she expected but it made her heart race and her stomach flip. 

Seeing a flustered Gigi made Crystal let out a quiet squeal.

“What? Why did you make that noise? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Crystal regarded Gigi with a sly grin, staring at her with a cute look of something Gigi hadn’t seen before. 

“Nothing, nothing. You’re just cute when you’re flustered.”

The comment left Gigi’s whole face turning red, making Crystal let out another squeal of adoration. 

“You’re cute, cielo.”

“Cielo?”

“Oh it means sky, but it’s meant as a term of endearment.”

Gigi was confident now, Crystal knew full well what was going on. Calling her Spanish terms of endearment wasn’t that strange of a thing, but right now it added fuel to the fire that was her feelings. 

The flirting continued, at one point Crystal wondered aloud what Gigi’s ice cream tasted like. Had anyone else said that, she would have replied that it was lemon flavour as deadpan as she could muster. But all she could do was offer Crystal a lick. 

There was nothing straight about this. Not flirting with a girl, and then offering each other a lick of their ice cream. 

It had taken Crystal until they were leaving to muster up the courage to actually make a move, as they were about to get their separate ways, she grabbed Gigi’s hand.

It was now or never, she prepared herself as Gigi looked at her, confused. 

“Hey Geeg, we should do this again sometime. I’ll pay for us both next time, it’ll be fun.”

“It’s a date.”


	4. i see your face in blank spaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 4 time! this was a fun one to write, i love nicky and rock interacting. i have no realy way of explaining the whole poisson thing but i found it hilarious so idk, enjoy jan and her gay panic
> 
> the theme for this chapter was heat (which i took as like heated emotions then gay panic)
> 
> if ya wanna, catch more over on tumblr @soulfulwinter

Jan had spent the next day with too many thoughts to deal with. Nothing quite made sense. All she knew was she liked Rock. 

No. It wasn’t just a crush

She was in love with Rock. 

It was obvious in hindsight, of course, it was. The way they treated each other had always been borderline flirtatious. But that type of flirting that could easily be mistaken for close friendship. No one made Jan laugh the same, no one else made her feel understood the way Rock did. No one compared to Rock, and the thought was terrifying.

She’d spent 17 years of her life as an unassuming straight girl. She had dated guys in the past, some who she got along great with. But looking at it now, her feelings for them felt forced. It never felt quite right when she was younger, she chalked it up to age. A heteronormative society made her refuse the possibility of liking girls. She realised all this in such a short amount of time it became overwhelming. 

The day passed in a blur, her feelings were too distracting but thinking about them made her head spin. Why was it this hard? Why couldn't she just know what was going on and deal with it?

A cynical part of her knew why. Because nothing was that easy, especially not realising you've been lying to yourself for your whole life. Everything Jan thought she knew had flown out of the window the minute Rock wore that goddamn swimsuit.

\---

Monday came too fast for comfort. Jan hadn’t gotten anywhere in dealing with her feelings. If anything they only become more complicated as time went on. She tried to not let it show, acting the energetic bubbly girl she always was. But the facade wouldn’t work for some. 

Jan knew full well Rock would catch on to what was going on. Although she was oblivious, she was always very perceptive of Jan’s mood change. It was a blessing and a curse that made facing Rock an impossible feat for the moment. 

Seeing her chatting to Nicky at lunch made Jan's heart leap. She couldn't help but stare. The pink-haired girl was adorable when she got focused on a conversation, eyes clearly attentive to whoever she was talking to. Jan didn’t know what they were talking about, maybe some new video game or something. 

A spike of jealousy rose in Jan. It felt wrong to be jealous over someone talking to her friend but Jan could only feel annoyed that she wasn't currently the subject of Rock’s attention.  
When the pink-haired girl turned around to face her, Jan’s heart beat faster than she knew was possible. Rock would pick up on her feelings if she wasn’t careful. Part of her wanted to confide in the girl. Rock had her back no matter what, but the thought of it made Jan want to run. She couldn’t think about talking about it. Not yet. 

Over the lunch period, Jan kept her act up, glad no one had seemed to catch on. She managed to keep conversation well, despite feeling like she was going to melt whenever Rock looked at or diverted all her attention to her. Being the subject of the very engaged listening face was a lot to handle. Or maybe Rock was too cute to handle, Jan didn’t know which one it was, although she was too scared to question it. 

\----

A boring English class had left Rock inattentive, trying to find anything to occupy herself with without the teacher realising she wasn’t focused. Nicky seemed to pick up on this, giving the pink-haired girl an amused look, glancing to and from her and the teacher before sending a bored, blank stare to the latter. 

“Alright Rock, you look like you’re having a thought, what’s happening?” Nicky whispered, stifling a laugh at the offended reaction Rock sent back. 

“Do you think something was up with Jan? She seemed a little off at lunch and I'm worrying.” 

“I mean there’s always something off with her, no one human is capable of being that excited about life.”

“Nicky, I'm being serious.” 

Seeing Rock’s face devoid of humor was jarring, Nicky couldn’t remember a time she ever looked this serious unless she was upset by something. 

“Okay, explain then.”

“She wasn’t acting like she normally does, it seemed forced. Did something happen? She seemed kinda off yesterday too, didn't text back like she normally does, it was all short and weird sounding.”

“Huh, she texted me completely normally, and she acted normally with me today. Are you sure there’s something up?”

“Absolutely, every time I’ve thought something was up with her because she was acting forced, I was right. I know Jan and something is clearly bothering her. But if she wasn’t acting weird with you…” 

Rock paused, suddenly looking down. Nicky shook her head, knowing exactly where this was going. 

“Do you think I did something? I don't know if I could cope with Jan being mad at me. Oh god did I say something? Is she mad at me? Does Jan hate me?” 

“Roxanne, no.” Nicky knew what was happening, Rock had a habit of blaming herself whenever something seemed off. Although they teased each other a lot, Nicky cared deeply for her and hated seeing Rock get in her head about everything. Calling her by her full name was enough to shock her into paying attention to what the french girl was saying. 

“She doesn’t hate you, poussin. We both know you two are too close for her not to say anything if there was a problem.”

Rock’s panic paused, she looked at Nicky and stifled a laugh. 

“Did you just call me a fish?”

“You...Rock no. I said poussin, it’s a term of endearment. Fish is poisson. You do have the brain of a fish though.”

Rock could barely hold back her laughter at that. Her hand clamped over her mouth, trying to keep her volume down before she got noticed. Nicky clearly wasn’t about to let Rock be quiet though. She moved closer before whispering something in her ear. 

“Poisson.”

That was enough for Rock to burst out in a loud cackle, immediately having the class and a very irate teacher staring at her. Nicky couldn’t help but join in upon seeing her friend’s reaction. This only served to annoy their teacher more though. 

“Roxanne, Nicolette! Do I need to send you two out of class or will you quiet down?” 

Exchanging a look of amusement, Nicky and Rock calmed down their laughter. Although a strange look from Jaida threatened to start them off again.

“Chile. Y’all are some strange people.” 

Jan watched the exchange from the back of the class, sat next to Jaida. She snickered at her friend’s comment, feeling her heart flutter at the sight of Rock laughing so hard about something. She found her laugh adorable, then again everything about Rock was adorable. Jan wished she could be the cause of that laughter, she had been in the past but now with everything she struggled to see herself being able to get to that point with Rock. 

But her heart couldn’t take the thought of struggling to talk to the girl she was pining for. It clicked then, in the English classroom, staring at her crush’s back. She had to force herself to do it. The scariest thing she could think of right now.

She had to talk to Rock.


	5. new sensations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good lord the world didn't want me to post this today but i made it, a lot happened but we got here. this is one of the best chapter of this fic and my personal favourite with how it came out, enjoy and read the shit out of it bc i went to hospital ealier but still manged to get this out on time (i'm fine btw) 
> 
> prompt for this chapter was tan
> 
> catch me @soulfulwinter on tumblr bc i need to sleep but finished this instead

Jan tried her best to find a chance to talk to Rock, but it never fully came together. Constant interruptions or the one time she got close, she couldn’t manage to tell her. She was looking for a chance to catch Rock alone, knowing it would be easier than around their friends. It wasn’t intentional but Jan couldn’t focus with the yelling and chaos that was the group. It kept her mind off of the current predicament though. A welcomed distraction from the panic she’d been feeling a few days prior. 

Finally, a chance came up. Jan’s mother was going out of town for the weekend, and not wanting her daughter to be alone all weekend , allowed her to have her friend’s stay over for a night. A sleepover with all 8 girls would be utter chaos, but if she waited until people started quieting down and going to sleep, it would be the perfect time to talk to Rock. 

Suggesting the idea to the group, she should’ve known it would cause an excited uproar. Hindsight failed her again. 

“So, my mom is going out of town for the weekend and she said i should invite you guys over for a sleepover. Who’s interested?” 

With 6 people excitedly saying yes and Jackie being the only one to remain calm, Jan felt her excitement grow. A discussion over plans quickly started forming, it was comforting to Jan. No matter what chaos was in her mind, her friends were always more chaotic. The idea of alcohol was brought up by Nicky, with most of the girls agreeing or being indifferent. Always the smart one, Jackie seemed apprehensive about bringing alcohol into Jan’s house without her mother’s knowledge 

“She’ll be fine with it, she doesn't mind what happens as long as we’re responsible.” JAn specifically remembered being told that as long as she didn’t do anything to the house, she was free to do whatever. She didn’t know how her mother would react to the idea of 8 drunk girls in her house but what stayed unknown couldn’t hurt anyone. 

“See that’s the problem, y’all are irresponsible. Chile it’ll be chaos” Jaida chimed in, she had a point but Rock seemed to think otherwise. 

“That’s what makes it fun!” 

“Okay so, someone is going to have to play a responsible sober person? I already know how this is going to end.” Jackie, although still seeming weary of the idea, shrugged and let it happen. 

“Come on Jacqueline, it’s responsible parent time. Let’s laugh at the children.”

“Jaida, you’re not a responsible parent. You’re more like the wine aunt who watches the kids do dumb things” Heidi quipped, sending the group into laughter with an annoyed Jaida sending an icy glare her way.

“Chile, you are dumb kids.” It was a weak defense at best but Nicky smirked at the comment. 

“Oh come on Jaida, who’s the dumb kids. Name the names.” the french girl held a sly smirk, eyes gleaming with amusement. 

“Pot stirrer.” Heidi murmured, making Crystal and Rock next to her burst into giggles.

“Oh, easy. Heidi, Jan, Crystal, Gigi, Rock and Nicky sometimes, but she’s better than the lot of you most of the time.”

Nicky smiled at the comment, clearly taking it as a compliment. The girls went back into discussing the newly arranged sleepover. They got to who would bring what, soon deciding that Nicky, Gigi and Jaida would be best to bring drinks. That left Crystal, Jackie and Heidi on snacks which they seemed happy with. The only ones left without a job were Rock and Jan, who was excluded because it was her house. 

“Rock, you’ll forget anything we ask you to bring.” Nicky shook her head at the pink-haired girl’s insistence she needed a role. 

“No, I won't! Come on give me some responsibility! I’m not that bad!” Rock seemed slightly offended by the remark, but loosened up as Jan put a supportive hand on her shoulder.

“Rock, she’s right. You wouldn’t remember anything you were asked to bring.” Jan snickered at Rock’s theatrical, betrayed expression.

“I can’t believe you’d betray me like this Janice!” Rock’s tone, flared with drama, made Jan burst into a flurry of giggles. The more Rock looked at her, the harder she started laughing. 

“Oh no, it’s the jackle.” The pure emotion in Rock’s shocked tone was enough to make Jan laugh even harder. She held a hand over her mouth but it did little to silence her. She let out giggles and loud cackles before she snorted, which sent Rock into a similar fit of laughter. Another snort from Jan led to the two girls in a fit of humour, with their friends watching on in amusement. 

“Okay Rock, how about you bring your switch and you’re on entertainment duty? How’s the sound?” Heidi asked, patiently waiting for the pair to quiet down before she spoke.

“Oh yes! You know what we can do? 8 player smash time!!”

\---

Jan found herself excitedly prepping for the sleepover. The one thing that was a pain was making sure there was enough room for everyone to sleep. The sofa could hold 2 people at a push, 2 double air beds could hold a further 4. That left 2 people, with her mother’s room off limits (one of the few strict instructions she received), the only other bed was in her room. There was one person she could think of who wouldn’t think it weird to share a bed. Her and Rock had slept in that bed many times together over the years, it would be like old times. 

Or maybe. It could be something else. She could only hope for now though. 

People started arriving around 5pm, which was the arranged time. Rock was first, uncharacteristically early but Jan was more than pleased to see her. 

“Jan! Hi!” Rock was ever energetic, practically bouncing inside when Jan opened the door. What Jan didn’t expect was the tight hug she was pulled into. It was amazing though. Rock was a strong girl, her tan, toned arms were one of the most attractive things Jan had ever seen and being squeezed by them made Jan’s insides go warm and fuzzy. 

“Hey Rock, good to see you so excited. Have you been eating tons of candy again?” 

The grin on Rock’s face said all she needed to know. The girl was predictable, given any chance she would eat all the junk food she could. Her love of sweet things had only grown stronger since they were kids, making Jan laugh whenever she got hyper off the sugar.

They stood in the hallway, in the tight hug for what felt like forever. Jan couldn’t help but feel longing when Rock let go, turning her attention to the doorbell that just went off. 

Nicky, Jackie and Jaida all arrived very close together, bringing snacks and drinks as promised. They all exchanged greetings, noticing the longing in Jan’s eyes directed at the pink-haired ball of energy who was currently excitedly unpacking her switch and hooking it up to the tv. 

No one was too late, all 8 girl’s made it before 5:15 and the night started great. They chattered and all found seats among the blown up airbeds, sofa and lone armchair that Jan had claimed as her own. 

Nothing too exciting happened until the drinks started getting passed around. The pizzas that had been ordered as everyone got comfortable arrived and the girls’ started eating with their drinks. 

“Janice, what kind of fiend eats pineapple on a pizza.” Heidi regarded Jan’s pizza of choice with a disgusted expression. 

“Janice here has taste!” Rock backed her up almost immediately, happily eating a slice of pineapple pizza on the floor, next to Jan. 

It sparked a heated discussion over the ethics of pineapple on pizza. Heidi, Jaida and Gigi seemed disgusted by the idea, Jackie and Nicky were indifferent, leaving Rock, Jan and Crystal with a large pizza between them. 

“Crystal! I can’t believe you would eat something like that!” The mortified look on Gigi’s face led Crystal to laugh, smiling as her face twisted into a grimace while Crystal ate the slice

“Sorry Geeg, I hope you can still go on a date with me knowing I like pineapple pizza.” Although the last bit was hushed, Gigi caught it and blushed before attempting a reply. 

“Well, I can let it slide, but you’ve got to show me some good things to make me forget it Miss Methyd.”

\------------

An hour after dinner was when things started to get more interesting, Jan was gleefully tipsy after 2 drinks, with the other girls close behind. They booted up a game of super smash bros, ready for the drunken chaos. 

“What if we did a team match?” Heidi suggested and was soon met by a majority of agreement, though Nicky seemed irked by the idea. 

“Chile, it’s a game, just play with someone. I’ll be on your team if it stops all this French anger.” Jaida turned to Nicky, settling her down before anything could start. 

The teams were quickly decided, Nicky and Jaida, Crystal and Gigi, Jackie and Heidi and Rock and Jan. Everyone got to picking characters with some choices ending in laughter.

“Of course Jan would choose pikachu, what else would you expect.” Nicky shook her head with a sigh.

“Okay sheik, calm down there you edgy ninja.” Rock seemed to take delight in riling up the French girl, as she sent a glare her way. 

“Chile, we are not talking about the fact Rock is an ugly yellow man who farts. I guess it’s fitting.” Jaida joked, making the room burst into laughter. 

The other girl’s choices weren’t as amusing but still caught jokes from everyone. Jackie chose samus, claiming she looked like a responsible and well equipped woman. Heidi chose isabelle, threatening everyone with her net. Crystal seemed happy with the cute kirby, excited to copy people’s abilities. Although she didn’t understand the game too well, Gigi chose zero suit samus, claiming she looked strong and fashionable. Jaida chose bayonetta, earning Nicky’s compliments on a good character choice.

The game started as energetic as it could. People were flying all across the stage, no one quite able to follow all the chaos. 

Soon a player was knocked out, the game announced player 7 defeated as Jackie put down her controller with a sigh. 

“I don’t get there video games you young kids play, win this for me Heidi.” 

Heidi grinned, continuing to play and avenging Jackie by knocking out Gigi, the one who defeated her. 

“Heidi, so help me god I’ll-” 

“Geeg, it’s not worth it, just beat her in the game” 

Although Crystal was the voice of reason, she struggled not to laugh at seeing how competitive Gigi got over a game she didn’t play. 

The game continued with Gigi getting defeated by Heidi, and letting out an angry huff before Cyrstal comforted her and knocked Heidi off the stage. 

On the other side of the stage, Nicky and Rock were fighting, with kicks coming from Nicky’s character before Rock drove a motorcycle into Nicky, sending her character flying as it held the same fate for Crystal and Jaida, with Heidi narrowly avoiding it. 

“Rock so help me god I will kick you so hard you’ll-”

“Get good, French toast.”

Seeing Nicky get riled up at the comment made Rock give a sly grin. 

Jaida was next to be eliminated from the match, closely followed by Crystal, leading to the first team loss of the match. No one quite knew how Jan was still standing when all she seemed to do was charge at people or hit them with a thunder attack. Heidi managed to take her down to her last stock before being taken down to her last stock by a punch from Rock. 

“Rocky! You avegenged me!” The glee in her tone sent shivers down Rock’s spine, distracting her as Nicky hit her with a strong kick to take her down to two stocks. 

“How are you still on two stocks? Rock I will defeat you so help me god.” Nicky growled angrily before Jaida put a hand on her shoulder and comforted the anger. 

The match continued, sending Jan out next as Nicky hit her with a powerful attack. Only 3 players were left now, the tension was growing with every passing move. Or it was for Nicky. Rock seemed happy to knock Heidi out of the match, leaving her pair in third place and tying it up to Nicky vs Rock, both with 2 stocks left on a high percentage. 

Nicky because quite, clearly focused. Rock followed suit, quieting her taunts and focusing hard on the screen. Jan couldn’t help but stare at how cute her concentrated face was, or the way her tan muscles clenched as she gripped the controller harder as the match went along.

Trading knock out they were both left with 1 life, Rock seemed to go completely focused and started comboing Nicky into being unable to move while she racked up the damage. Landing a final, charged attack and Rock won the match, with Nicky eyeing her with an icy death glare. 

“Rocky! You did it! We won!” The pure excitement in Jan’s voice made Rock want to scream, but she just embraced the girl, feeling the heat radiate from the smaller girl’s tipsy body. 

\------

After the match the girls’ kept drinking and having a fun time, with nothing quite as exciting or emotional as the match. Jan got more tipsy and made Rock sit on the arm of her chair and let her cuddle up to her. Nicky had clearly drunk more than enough and was clumsily flirting with a clueless Jaida who was only somewhat tipsy. Jackie was still sober, watching over everyone like the mother of the group that she was. Heidi was talking to her, also still decently sober.

Gigi and Crystal were another story, the pair were cuddled together on one of the air mattresses and whispered quiet things to each other, not letting the other move an inch in the process.

Jackie was the one to first ask when she noticed the time, inquiring to the tipsy Jan what the plans were. 

“Jan, where did you plan for everyone to sleep?” 

“Oh, 2 people on each air mattress and 2 on the couch. It looks like Gigi and Crystal have already claimed one so you guys can figure it out between yourselves.” Jan gestured to each item as she talked about it before returning to hugging Rock.

“Jan, that’s enough for 6 of us. There’s 8 of us.” Jackie shook her head, of course Jan was too absent minded to remember that. 

“Oh yeah. I’m gonna take my bed and someone else can fit in there.”

“Oh, can I? We’ve done it before so it seems like the easiest choice. Plus then I won't be able to hear all these girls snoring.” Rock chimed in, happily pulling Jan closer to her.”

Jan just gave an affirmative hum, busying herself by playing with Rock’s hair.

Everyone started to drop off soon after, Jan had moved from her spot with Rock to get blankets and pillows, watching quietly from her seat, with Rock perched on the arm of it, as everyone fell asleep. 

The time on her phone read 2am and Rock glanced over to Jan who was visibly falling asleep. It was too cute for Rock to handle but she kept herself quiet, not wanting to wake anyone.

“Hey Jannifer, I think it’s time to go to bed. You ready?”

Jan just hummed, turning and burrowing her head into Rock’s lap, making the pink-haired girl’s heart melt even more. It pained her to move her friend’s head but she had to, waking Jan up slightly in the process. 

With a sigh, Rock scooped up the half asleep Jan and laid her down in her bed. With a soft smile she pulled the duvet over her before getting in herself. 

“Mmm, I missed this.” Jan murmured, face half muffled by the pillow she has burrowed her head into.

Rock paused, turning to face Jan with a questioning hum. 

“Us, like this. Remember when we used to beg our parents for sleepovers and stay up until 2am talking about nothing. I missed it.” Jan rolled over to face Rock, making her voice come out clearer in the process. 

“Yeah, me too.” Rock could only agree, too distracted by how beautiful Jan looked, lit up by the dim street lights flowing through a crack of her curtains. 

She could make out Jan’s soft smile and it sent her heart into a fastened beat. She couldn’t cope with this girl.

“Hey Rock? Can I tell you something?”

“Of course, you can tell me anything, Jan.” 

“I think I’’m gay.” 

Jan paused shocked by how easily it was. All her panic had built up into a quiet, anticlimactic coming out whispered in her bedroom. It felt right though, she trusted Rock more in this situation than anyone could ever hold a candle to. 

“Jan, you know no matter what, I’ll support you. You did the same when I came out and I’ll do the same for you. I know it isn’t easy and I'm so proud of you for saying it.”

Jan looked at Rock, taking the beauty of her friend. The baby pink of her tank top was barely visible through the orange light peeking through her curtains. She could see her muscles, sending a shiver down Jan’s spine at the thought of them.

“God, I love you Rock.” Although she had meant it soft, and to come off platonically, Jan’s tone came out quiet and earnest, like a declaration of love hushed between two unknowing girls. That’s exactly what it was though. Her heart froze upon realising what she had said, but it couldn’t lead her to panic for too long because Rock spoke up.

“Jan, I love you too. In whatever way you want, I’ll always love you.”

Jan paused, pulling the girl close and quietly murmuring something, while burrowing her face into her shoulder. 

“I’m in love with you Roxanne.” 

It was so simple now. It all made sense and her anxiety had faded into clarity. It was amazing. Rock liked her back and it was incredible.

“I love you too, Janice.”

The girls fell asleep, intertwined in an embrace that wouldn’t break until they woke up. Neither knew quite how things were going to go after this but the euphoria of it all would surely help them deal with anything.


	6. our imagination's running wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we are! the chapter before last. it's sad that this fic is coming to an end but i ain't done with this au or the ships in it. this chapter took a little longer to get out and i missed day 6 and 7 but they're coming now and chapter 7 will be out in a few days probably. Enjoy some more crygi and just the fic in general.
> 
> the prompt for this chapter was watermelon which tbh i barely squeezed it but let's count it anyway
> 
> come say hi to me on tumblr if ya wanna @soulfulwinter

The morning after Jan’s sleepover was a strange one. It had been a fun night, but things were beginning to change in the group. Relationships were evolving and not going to be the same for much longer. Crystal noticed this and decided to find all her confidence and ask Gigi on a proper date later in the day. 

Everyone started to wake up around 10 am, although voices stayed hushed for the next hour to avoid waking up whoever was still sleeping. Everyone woke up around the same time, leaving Gigi, Rock, and Jan the last ones asleep.

Crystal, looking at the sleeping Gigi next to her as everyone started moving around, couldn’t hold back the soft smile that tugged at her lips. She would have continued admiring the red-haired beauty but Nicky cleared her throat, sending Crystal an amused look that made her want to curl up in a ball and roll away. 

\---

In the room next to where most of the girls had slept, Rock was intertwined with a half-asleep Jan. The blonde stirred, noticing someone hugging her before turning her head around to see a fast asleep Rock, hugging her close to her chest.

Jan felt her heart almost leap out of her chest at first, before remembering the events of the night before and settling back down. The fear turned into something soft and warm. Rock felt the same way, she had nothing to worry about anymore. It was all okay.

There was the rest of the world other than Rock to worry about but Jan shook it off. She’d take it slowly, just glad she could stop worrying so much about her feelings for her close friend. She didn’t know where they would go from here but it couldn’t get much worse than the paralysing gay panic she was tormented by.

She realised she would need to move from the pink-haired girl’s embrace at some point soon before someone (probably Nicky) would barge into her room and not let her live it down. That was made difficult by how they were laid. Rock had one arm over Jan, the other laying limply by her side. Their legs were snaked together, Jan’s arms were a part of the mess, one hanging onto Rock’s and one over the sleeping girl. Pulling herself out of this would be difficult but she didn’t fear waking Rock up, knowing that her friend could sleep through anything. 

That was until a loud thud came from one of the rooms and Jan felt her heart drop to the bottom of her chest. Rock stirred beside her, letting out a confused noise before flopping down back into the bed. She stayed there for a moment before rolling over to be face to face with Jan. 

“The fuck?” Her tired, half-asleep mumble made Jan’s heart weak. Tired Rock was always cute, but curled in her bed half fused with her was another story. Jan didn’t know if she could cope with this for much longer, but the warmth in the chest at one look at Rock made it all worth it. 

“Good morning to you too!” Jan's enthusiasm was ever-present, even after having just woke up. Rock regarded her with a strange look, shaking her head and muttering something about too much energy. She glanced at the door then back at Jan before speaking again.

“As much as I hate suggesting it, should we go check out what that was?” Rock, although suggesting the get up, pouted when Jan removed her arm from over her body. Jan’s heart malfunctioned at the sight. How was she going to survive with a girl this adorable?

“You’re right, come on let’s get up.” 

Rock grumbled as Jan left the warmth of the bed and her embrace but soon got up to stand beside her and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, nuzzling her head into her shoulder.

“Just 'cause we’re up now doesn’t mean you’ll get away with this, you owe me more time to cuddle.” Rock’s half-asleep voice, trying to sound somewhat threatening was the single funniest and cutest thing Jan had heard in her life. She felt a sudden urge to pat Rock on the head, following through before trying not to laugh at the strange, happy sound that came from Rock as she did so. 

\---

The pair made their way into the lounge where the other girls were. The source of the noise was found out to be Gigi, having rolled off the air mattress onto the floor. Everyone stared, not wanting to be the first person to speak but also wanting to laugh at the poor girl’s misfortunate awakening. Crystal was the first one to make a move, tapping the redhead on the shoulder.

“What?” 

At the sound of Gigi's confused grumble, Crystal giggled. Gigi herself whipped around to give whoever laughed an icy glare but felt it melt the minute she saw Crystal’s adorable amused face. She glanced around the room, noting everyone looks at her with either a smirk or straight confusion. 

“Well, at least everyone’s awake now! How did everyone sleep!” Jan felt the eyes turn to her, cutting through the awkward silence that was building. Everyone seemed to answer that they slept well, with Rock mumbling something about barely being awake. 

The group flowed into normal conversation after that, everyone discussing what their plans for the rest of the day were and eating leftover snacks to double as breakfast. 

Crystal saw her chance, tapping Gigi on the shoulder and sitting next to her on the sofa. 

“Hey Geeg, you said you weren’t busy today and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go somewhere with me?”

Gigi froze, did Crystal just ask her out? Seriously? Was she still dreaming?

Gigi nodded, afraid if she spoke not much would come out. 

“Cool! I saw this cool looking arcade that opened up recently. Would you want to go there? Maybe?” 

Gigi couldn’t help but smile at the nervous tone Crystal almost always possessed, she acted so shy and yet stood out so much with her huge makeup, curly green hair, and loveable attitude. 

“Sounds like fun, Crys. I’d love to. It’s a date!” 

It was Crystal’s turn to freeze up now. Gigi said yes. Oh god, how was she going to deal with this? But her plan had worked. She was going on a date with Gigi Goode!

\----

The giddy feeling in Crystal had yet to fade as she and Gigi neared the arcade. If anything it only grew stronger with every passing minute. Gigi noticed the air of pure excitement Crystal was giving off, hiding her smile at the cuteness of it.

The moment they stepped inside, Crystal grabbed Gigi’s hand and dragged her date to the nearest claw machine. 

“Geeg look! It looks like you!” Crystal gestured to a ginger cat plush, grinning proudly. Gigi questioned it though, she wasn’t a cat. How did she look like one?

“It’s ginger and it looks elegant, but also super cute. You two are practically the same.!” The giggle Crystal let out made warmth radiate through Gigi. She was really out here, on a date with Crystal. The thought made a giddy smile, much like her date’s, tug at her lips. She let it stay, the smile widening into a grin when she saw Crystal with the same dopey look. 

Turning her sights on the claw machine, she put some money in, turning to the green-haired girl and winking. Crystal watched over her shoulder as Gigi expertly maneuvered the claw onto the cat that had caught her eye. It got picked up and dropped into the prize shoot, Gigi looked at it with a proud expression that made Crystal melt a little inside. 

When Gigi handed her the plush she wanted to scream, instead, she went for a move so strangely confident for her it was baffling with hindsight. She happily took the cat, proudly proclaiming it to be baby Geeg, before gesturing to Gigi with the same dopey smile that she had held for most of the day. 

“She may be baby Geeg, but you’re my favourite Geeg.” Crystal kissed the redheads cheeks, inwardly smirking when she saw Gigi fail to compute what was happening. It took her a good few seconds to react, limply bringing a hand to the spot Crystal had kissed and staring at her with big eyes mixed with too many emotions to decipher. Gigi quickly responded to the action, pressing a light kiss to Crystal's forehead and grinning when she looked flustered by the affection. 

They continued, attached at the hip, playing games together. Or rather, Crystal would pull Gigi to any game she took particular interest in and Gigi would play it with her. The euphoria of seeing how excited Crystal got when they did well was the best thing Gigi had ever felt in her life and she would do anything to keep feeling it. 

“You know, since we have green and red hair, does that make us a watermelon?”

“Crystal….what?” Exchanges of pure stupidity that warmed Gigi’s heart continues as the played the games, how was Crystal this stupid and yet this perfect?

Crystal was determined to return the gift of a cute plush from one of the many claw machines, when Gigi gestured to a small clown plush, claiming it to be just like Crystal, she saw her chance. She paused at the machine, staring at it for a good 20 seconds before putting some money in. She failed the first time, the clown falling out of the claw just before it hit the prize shoot and making Crystal want to scream in the process. She put more money in, successfully getting it the second time. 

“Hey, since I’ve got baby Geeg I guess you need a little clown to remind you of me huh?” Crystal was proud of getting the small clown to Gigi, who seemed to like it a lot.

“Well, her name is Cryssie. She reminds me of this really cute girl I know actually.”

Playing dumb, Crystal nodded, wondering aloud who this girl could be. Gigi picked up on it, only proceeding to complement the girl more.

“She sounds like a real catch.”

“Oh she is, you know something?”

Crystal gave her a perplexed look.

“I really want to kiss her.” With that, Crystal froze. Despite all the flirting, she didn’t expect Gigi to be so forward.   
“I have a feeling she’d like that a lot.”

Gigi took that as the confirmation she needed, gently putting a hand on Crystal’s face and guiding it into a kiss. It was short, nervous, and probably somewhat awkward but it felt right and made both girls smile like idiots. 

Crystal knew then and there that this wouldn’t be the last date they went on and she swore to herself that would be the first kiss of many between them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp it's the final chapter and i already miss this fic, it's been a lot of fun writing it and i'll probably write more in this au. jan and rock finally get their shit together after 6 chapters of almost but not quite and yeah, this one is a nice cute one to end the fic on. 
> 
> go follow me on tumblr @soulfulwinter if ya wanna and enjoy
> 
> the prompt for this chapter was swim (i used it, loosely, it is in there though)

Jan felt freer than ever after what had happened with Rock. She felt comfortable in herself and her identity. There was one minor problem, figuring out where she and Rock were at. They currently existed in this weird void of knowledge about the other’s feelings but both being too nervous to make a move just yet. She wasn’t out of all the confusion just yet.

Broaching the topic was difficult, but Jan felt any anxiety leave her body when she glanced over to Rock. She knew what Jan was planning to do and had expressed so much support in the past two days that Jan’s confidence was stronger than ever and she truly felt ready to tell her friends what had been going on.

“Hey guys, can I tell you something.” The question sounded innocent enough, 6 pairs of curious eyes staring at Jan, Rock was the only one with a different expression, a supportive smile and caring eyes that made Jan feel confident enough to say it.

“I’m a lesbian.” She couldn’t watch the reactions, immediately turning to a proud looking Rock when the anxiety peaked. 

The first one to speak up was Nicky, tapping her fellow blonde on the shoulder and pulling her into a tight hug. It seemed that everyone followed suit, with Crystal, Gigi, and Heidi joining immediately after. Jackie and Jaida joined the growing group hug, leaving Rock to grab Jan’s hand through the mess of the supportive hug. She joined on the outskirts before Jan tugged her closer. The group broke apart shortly after, but Rock stayed next to Jan, whispering that she was proud when the others weren’t paying attention and giving her hand a supportive squeeze that made Jan’s heart flutter and a familiar warmth spread through her body. 

The girls all expressed their support and love for Jan, it made the smile on her face grow bigger, it went better than she could ever have thought. 

\---

“Hey Rock, can I ask you something?” Jan ran up behind the pink-haired girl, causing her to jolt in a panic. Upon realising it was Jan, she settled and couldn’t hide the smile that came to her face at just seeing the girl. 

“Yeah sure, what’s up Jannifer?” 

Jan cracked up at the nickname, a giggle that sent shivers down Rock’s spine and made her want to melt at that exact moment. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me, this weekend maybe? Just the two of us. Like a date.” Jan felt herself begin to ramble, but powered through, hoping she managed to get her point across. Seeing the stunned look on Rock’s face she assumed she had some success. 

“Yeah, I’d like that” Trying to outwardly keep her cool was a struggle, Rock was losing it on the inside, a mess of emotions, excitement, nerves and strong romantic feelings for a certain bubbly blonde girl.

Jan left the conversation unable to keep herself from smiling giddily, later on, her cheeks would ache from how much she had been smiling but how could she not? She was going on a date with the girl she’d loved for longer than she knew. 

\---

Planning the date had been difficult, her plan had been something cute and artsy, something that screamed Rock. Begrudgingly, she’d asked for some advice, with Crystal seeming the best option due to her closeness to the girl Jan was going on a date with. She’d been eager to help, suggesting a list of things that all sounded great. They’d narrowed it down after a long discussion. Rock had expressed interest in a local pottery place that allowed people to buy premade pots and paint them. They planned on doing it as some sort of arty activity with some of their friends but Jan knew it was the perfect thing to do with Rock. 

They planned to meet at a local park, with Jan walking with Rock to an undisclosed arty place. When Jan walked up, seeing Rock waiting on a nearby bench sent her heart racing faster than she knew possible. Rock looked adorable in a baby pink shirt and a darker pink overalls that cut off just above her knee. The muscles in her arms and legs reminded Jan of the summers they spent in the past, Rock had always been a keen swimmer, leading her to get muscular and tan whenever the summer rolled around. It was something Jan had learned to enjoy after enough times of Rock pushing her to do some swimming with her, now having a whole other reason to enjoy it.

Having caught the blonde staring at her, Rock shot her an amused look, leaving Jan mortified at having been caught. She awkwardly approached the bench, nearly jumping out of her skin when Rock jumped up, her hand quickly finding its way to Jan’s. 

“Never thought the day would come when you were early for something.” Rock laughed, making her date feel her nerves calm down ever so slightly. 

“Oh, you say that like you aren’t always late too. How many alarms did you have to set?”

Rock went silent and Jan’s question mumbling something under her breath that Jan didn’t quite catch. When she asked Rock to speak up, the embarrassment became more obvious. 

“Five. What are you looking at me like that for? I like to sleep.” Rock felt her face heat up and Jan’s amused expression, she glanced away, hopelessly trying to hide her embarrassment. 

“I know. You always were a pain to get up when we had sleepovers. It’s kinda cute though when you’re half-asleep and grumbling about wanting more sleep.” 

Seeing Rock become flustered at the compliment made Jan want to squeal. She couldn’t deal with how cute the girl was, this date was going to be a real test of self-control for her.

The conversation flowed as easily as it always did after that, both girl’s nerves melting away with the warmth of being on a date with their best friend. Jan led Rock, never quite mentioning where they were going. They arrived after a short walking, leaving Rock bubbling with excitement at the realisation of what they were doing.

\---

Seeing Rock so focused on the pot she was painting was something Jan wanted to remember for a long time. The absolute concentration was adorable to watch, Jan would’ve sneakily watched for longer but she didn’t want to get caught staring again. 

Her attention turned to the half purple pot in front of her, she had gotten the paint splattered on her hands within the first few minutes. The mess didn’t bother her, although Rock had found it amusing and did poke fun at the blonde for being incapable of being tidy. Not that she had much of a leg to stand on being equally as messy in any other scenario, being uncharacteristically organised when it came to art. 

A comfortable silence was held between them, both focused on decorating the pottery in front of them. Rock spoke up first, curious as to what Jan was doing.

“Hey Jan, what are you going for with your pot?” 

“Uh, purple! What about you?”

The pure excitement in Jan’s tone made Rock smile, there was something about the almost child-like enthusiasm she had for everything, that was adorable and infectious. 

“Oh? It’s kind of childish but it’s pink and it’s got a little rainbow on it.”

“It’s so cute! The rainbow is kinda gay though, it’s like you! Pink and gay!” Jan giggled at her joke, making Rock’s heart surge in her chest. Everything Jan did got a reaction, that was just the power of her cuteness though, Rock would argue that with anybody.

“Hmm, on a date with a girl painting pottery? That’s a pretty gay way to spend a Saturday.” 

Jan started laughing harder at Rock’s comment, earning the pair a few strange looks from people on surrounding tables. Rock couldn’t help but laugh, Jan’s enthusiasm and laughter were contagious.   
They continued, finishing up the pots and waiting for the rest of the paint to dry. Soon enough it was time to go home, with Rock offering to walk Jan home. It was a shock knowing how shy she was when it came to anything remotely romantic but Jan was quick to agree to it. They held hands for the walk back to Jan’s house, keeping a random conversation flowing about anything and everything, Jan felt an unfamiliar sadness and longing when they got to her house. She only wanted to spend more time with Rock but knew she had to go before Rock’s parents got on her about going out so much and not focusing on school work. 

“Hey, Rock. Thanks for coming out with me today. It was really fun, we should go on more dates.”

Rock didn’t know how to respond. She’d had a great time with Jan but was sent reeling at the idea of going on more dates. It didn’t feel real for Jan to be asking her on more dates.

“Yeah, I had a really fun time too. I’m always up to go on another date with you, Jan.” 

Seeing the nerves in Rock’s eyes made Jan soften, even more, she couldn’t hold herself back this time, leaning up and pressing their lips together softly. It was only quick but Rock swore she saw her life flash before her eyes. 

Jan had kissed her. Jan. The girl she was convinced was straight and had crushed on for years had kissed her. This was real and happening. In her inner turmoil, Rock could only utter out one thing before thinking.

“Jantastic.” 

Realising what she had said, and how Jan was trying and failing to hold back laughter. Rock felt mortified, wanting the earth to swallow her up then and there. Jan didn’t leave much time for that though, cupping her face and pulling it back towards her so they could be eye to eye. 

“Rock, you’re jantastic!”

It was a stupid pun but the anxiety soon left Rock, leaving her with a giddy feeling that didn’t fade for a long while after. Jan bid her goodbye but not before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. 

This was actually happening.

\---

“Chile, how did almost everyone end up dating. Is there something in the air making everyone suddenly stop pining?”

“Speak for yourself. I do remember you saying you spent months staring at me not knowing how to talk to me properly. You’re as hopeless as the rest of them.”

Jaida stopped, glaring at Nicky although the french girl didn’t miss the blush on her cheeks. They had many conversations about feelings, with Jaida admitting her pining and Nicky being blunt about all the flirting. 

The french girl smiled smugly, knowing she won before Jaida pressed a quick kiss to her lips, catching her off guard and leaving a stunned expression in its wake. 

A lot of things had changed, as made obvious by Crystal and Gigi sitting next to each other, attached at the hip and giving the other loving a loving stare that made the girls around them laugh. Neither would live it down for a long time but they let them have their moment, only intervening when a kiss lasted a little while. Heidi laughed at them before commenting on something about her innocent eyes. 

They weren’t the only ones though Jan and Rock were in a somewhat strange place. The dates had happened and gone extremely well. Rock had even initiated a kiss that left Jan speechless. But a desire to make it official was eating away at Jan. She would love nothing more than to call Rock her girlfriend but knew that the pink-haired girl took some time to adapt to their current situation. Rushing it wasn’t the best idea.

She felt conflicted though. Rock was always very receptive to any moves Jan made but rarely made any herself. It was a tricky situation but Rock continues to surprise her. 

“Hey, Jan? Everyone’s getting together now and I was thinking. Would you maybe mind if I called you my girlfriend? It doesn't matter if it’s too fast or something but I’d love to be able to say my girlfriend is the perfect, adorable girl also known as Jan.”

Although she sounded nervous, Jan was astonished by the level of confidence it must have taken Rock to ask. She felt proud of how the girl was getting better at asking people things and talking about her feelings. 

“Of course, I’d love to be your girlfriend, Rock. I was scared to ask in case it was too fast for you but. I guess I’ve got the best girlfriend now.” Jan’s smile made Rock feel like she was floating. It still didn’t quite feel real, her and Jan being like this. But the euphoria that came from her saying yes was something she wanted to bottle up and keep forever. 

Rock had stopped being so nervous with Jan, finally feeling enough confidence to lean in and kiss the blonde. It was soft, a lot less awkward than after their first date and it left Jan speechless. They still had some things to conquer, including Jan coming out to her mother and people knowing about their relationship. But after everything that had happened, she was very happy with how it ended up and wouldn’t change it for the world, no matter what.


End file.
